Recently, I came across an interesting video of Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Alibaba , Jack Ma. In the video, Ma, with a net worth of $40.9 billion USD, mentions that you will never be able to directly compete with AI (artificial intelligence). In a world where AI and Robots in the workplace is becoming more and more of a reality, people fear job loss and an I, Robot type world. But I wouldn’t be afraid. Instead, I would prepare, adjust and be aware of the reality.
Our competitive advantage as human beings is ‘survival‘. We know how to evolve, adapt, create and adjust in order to survive. With AI here, it’s no different – we need to prevail and show our value as humans. People need to develop Soft Skills to compete with AI. What are soft skills? I’m glad you asked….
Well, the exact definition is:
“Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.”
The truth is (not to undermine hard skills) that hard skills (specific, teachable abilities that can be defined and measured, such as typing, writing, math, reading and the ability to create or use software programs) are at risk of being replicated by AI and Robots. On the other hand, Soft Skills are more difficult to replicate. Especially one of the skills that didn’t make the top 10, but in my opinion is the most important – Grit! Grit is a blend of passion and persistence. It’s the ability to get things done with no loss of enthusiasm, high standards and strong morale. Things that I believe AI and Robots will have a difficult time replicating. The people with strong soft skills are the types of people that will excel in the face of AI and Robots and these are the type of people that will have no issues finding work, finding a job, starting a business or even buying a business.
Top 10 Soft Skills, or what Jeff Bezos likes to describe as ‘invisible work’ (the things people do when no one is watching) are:
- Communication
- Self-Motivation
- Leadership
- Responsibility
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Decisiveness
- Ability to Work Under Pressure and Time Management
- Flexibility
- Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Nunzio Presta, Founder & CEO, BuyAndSellABusiness.com
First published under our former name, BizON.
